Pages

While I am certainly doing lots of "stuff" these days, not much is at a stage where it can be shared.  Sorry.  I'd love to have you all looking over my shoulder.

But, in the meantime, I've been doing a little journaling too.  Just a page every few days.  I can already see some improvements in my composition and skill using unfamiliar tools.  Still a long way to go to be called a Collage artist, but here is a little eye-candy along the way.

tissue paper gessoed onto the pages.

finger painted self(?) portrait

different kinds of tape, then painted over and rubbed with a paper towel

oooh!  green!

permission slip is inside envelope

Doesn't this look like a fun mess?  Let me tell you, the first thing on the permission slip should be "Permission to make messes" 'cause that's what I've done plenty of!

A Different Sort of WOW

Not only kind of What's on the Worktable, but Holey Moley WOW!  Look at this carefully, folks, you may never see it again.

The worktable is CLEAN! 

You probably wonder how in the world that happened, dontcha?  Well, you know how cleaning one little spot just highlights how dirty the rest of it is?  Before you know it, that little spot clean-up job turns into a major production!

What I was cleaning up was a bit of splattered paint from this:

I've been pondering taking some kind of class on Art Journals.  Thought I'd try a few free exercises first, though.  This one came from Caspiana I believe.  Once a background was prepared, I went through magazines looking for pictures from a provided list:  smile, something red, the letter A . . . that sort of thing.  It was fun and relaxing work, and I'm amazed at how pleasing this arrangement looks to me.  Great for sparking some creativity.

Now, to get busy messing up that worktable!

MORE Journals!

I mentioned earlier that I am taking another on-line class.  I swear - this is starting to look like an addiction!  Don't I have enough on my plate?  Apparently the answer is No, because I am enjoying myself immensely!

I am taking "More Journal Making for Fiber Artists" from Sue Bleiweiss.  This is the end of week 2 and I finally finished my second journal.  Which means I am up to date and on schedule!  Cause for celebration, huh?

Here is the first journal:

The design is a tri-fold, which I don't believe I've ever seen before.  The signatures (groups of pages all sewn in as a single unit) are attached using a simple binding, although I had to make it difficult by choosing to use ribbon instead of thread!  Seems I just can't follow instructions exactly as written!  So, what else is new?

 

Here you can see the trifold design.    You can also see the ribbon in the center of this signature.   I glued the wider ribbon, along with two pieces of the binding ribbon, onto the back of the journal so it is a permanent part of the book.  One just grabs the ends and ties a bow to hold the book closed.  I like the multicolored stripe fabric and how it works with the three colors of the ribbons.

Here is the inside of one of the three areas.  I used a sunflower fabric that I have had for awhile.  Of course I did not notice that it was upside down until after I had finished binding all three sections of the book!  Sheesh!  I may decide to re-bind this one some day - or not!  Using ribbon to bind is not exactly easy!

SO!  On to week two.  I like the way this one turned out better.  I just wish the pictures were clearer.  Got to study up some more on this camera business.

Anyhoo.  Here is Journal Number 2.  This one is smaller - 5" x 6" - and would fit inside my tote bag quite easily.    The covers are gift wrap that I covered with pink tissue paper and ModPodge.  I like the idea of hot pink money! 

The binding on this book is called coptic binding.  It looks complicated, but once you've gone through the process a few times it is fairly simple.  The trickiest part is getting the tension just right.  Too loose and everything flops about and refuses to  line up; too tight and the book won't open flat!  I think mine may be just a little tight, but it does open at least!

I had a bit more fun with the pages/signatures on this one, too.  I had a sample page of money-themed postcards and I glued them onto the signature covers.  I also played around in my word processor and printed up some lined pages with various money type clipart:  stacks of bills, coins, and piggy banks.  Oh yes - piggies!  Sadly, I got some of them upside down, too.  I'm seeing a trend here. 

 

 

 

 

Well.  This has been a long one.  Friday we will get Lesson 3.  Can't wait to see what Sue has in store for us this time!

A Lesson in Patience

. . . or, An Exercise in Frustration! I'm pretty short on patience, so I guess it is really the second option.

Today I have been working on a journal. I am taking an on-line class (yes, another one! Gotta have some way to keep out of trouble!) from Sue Bleiweiss. This is a follow-up for the class I took earlier this year. Anyhoo – the topic is fusible web. I love this stuff! Er, usually, that is. But we'll get to that. For various reasons, I usually like to use the kind that has a paper backing. I have not been able to get my favorite brand lately, so today I used something else.

Now, the way this is supposed to work is that you press the fusible to your fabric with a hot iron. Then peel away the paper backing and press it to another piece of fabric, interfacing, whatever. The paper backing should come away looking something like this:

Today, I got this:

And a hard job it was, too!

I should have known better. A few years back this company had troubles with their adhesive formula and I stopped buying that particular item. I still buy their other products and their whole line is easily available. So I figured that surely they have solved the problem by now. Ha! That'll teach me!

A Little of This and That

I guess these are the dog days of summer.  I have felt pretty un-motivated lately.  Kind of like the best thing to be doing is putting my feet up!  Problem with that is - not much is getting done!  Oh, a little here, a little there, a little this and that.

I've been working a bit on the Flap class doll.  I really need to give him his own name!  (That's something I can do with my feet up!)  But he has most of his clothes now.  Finished his jacket today and he has a helmet and goggles yet to go.  Oh yeah, and the wings.  How can he fly without wings??  He is a fun guy to work on, but I have to say that those boots are INSANE!  They are cute and turned out pretty well, but why would I want to do that again?

The Studio Journal class is in week five and still going strong.  Lots of lovely ideas floating around!  We've experimented with several design tools on the web.  This stuff can get really addictive!  Last week (or maybe week before) it was kaleidoscopes:

This week it's dingbats!  (NO, not the students!  Those little symbol things that come in your fonts.  You know?)

I still need to do my Take It Further piece for July.  It is coming - slowly.  I have doodled lots of ideas in my journal and I think I know where I want to go with the theme.  But, every time I get ready to start on the actual fabric assembly, I get yet another idea and head back to the journal to explore it further.  This could take forever!

It's time for my goals review this week.  Perhaps I'll get to that tomorrow - or perhaps not!  Today it was rainy and much cooler.  You would think that would help the laziness, wouldn't you?  Ha!

More Journaling

This week's assignment in the online Studio Journal class I'm taking is to find shapes, patterns, and texture in our surroundings.  The first phase is to take a camera and collect pictures.  So there will be a lot of pictures in this post.  Just thought I oughta warn ya!

Since I live in a rural area, I thought this might be a difficult assignment.  The first day or so, I just tried to look around me with a little more awareness.  Once I got the camera out, things started to POP at me.  And now, I can't turn it off!  A ride to town has me bemoaning not having the camera - even though I have more than enough photos to continue with the lesson.  Like many other aspects of this course, this lesson may lead to a new addiction.  LOL!

Well, let's get to the pictures shall we?  First some circles.  There are a LOT of hay bales out this time of year.  And lots of flowers, too.  Easy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another circle in the guise of a wagonwheel.  Then some diamonds.

Now some rectangles - and a few circles as well.  These were the unusual ones mostly.  Actually rectangles are all over the place.

I was worried about triangles.  Where am I going to find triangles?  What do you think?  Why, once you start to look, they are everywhere!!  Power poles, towers, everywhere.

I also went looking for pattern and texture.  That one is easier.  An old wooden bridge, a weathered stone building, etc.  No problem!

 

 

I may have gotten a bit carried away with the "gathering" part of this lesson!  Time to go see what the next phase is.  Back to the basement.  The neighbors should be relieved - no more crazy lady with a camera wandering loose!

See you later.

Studio Journals class

I am taking an online class at Joggles right now called Studio Journals.  It is not  an "end-product" class, but rather a process class.  The process is how to use a Studio Journal to capture ideas and test designs.  As a way to do this - and to develop the habit of working in the Journal - we are also reviewing basic design principles.  Well, I learned some of it long ago in school, but the years have erased a lot of it, so this is really good for me.  Plus it is way too much fun!

Here a some of my pages - just so you know that I AM doing something!

The left hand picture is of an exercise in "drawing like you stitch."  This page already had a little sketch of a doll outline, so I filled it in with embroidery stitches and a tassel.  Then I experimented with some of my favorite stitches.

The right hand pic is something called "frottage" - or old fashioned rubbings.  I found some interesting textures around the house.  The round piece is from my hair dryer and I think I could do something with this one.  Some day!

  This week we are exploring shapes.  First exercise was like cutting snowflakes.  Ooh!  Remember how much fun that was when you were in grade school?  Well, it's still fun today!  Of course, Sarge* thinks I've completely lost it now.  He was already suspecting I'm off my rocker, but now he's SURE!!

*By the way - about Sarge.  My family and close friends are all saying "Who?!!?"  On the rare occasion when I've mentioned my husband on this blog, I've called him "hubby."  Recently he informed me that he doesn't much care for that term (well, he put it just a wee bit stronger!).  So we had a little talk and I told him what some of the other bloggers call their significant other.  He was not crazy about an initial, scorned SO - significant other - or better half, and was really pretty negative about My Hero and LoveBunny.  I can't imagine why! ;-)  Finally, I received grudging approval to refer to him as Sarge.  After all, that is who he was when we met and married.  His mother once told me that he was born a Sergeant, it just took 20 years to get the stripes on his sleeve!

In other news, I have finished the Hoffman Challenge.  Stay tuned for pictures.

Jumble of Journals

I am packing up for a family visit for a few days, so there is not much time for a lengthy post. But I wanted to show off the journals I have made lately. I finished the class with Sue Bleisweiss, but have not posted all of the class journals. The last pictures I posted were here.



Coming up - pictures of the last two lessons:

In Lesson 4 we learned a faux leather technique. Quite interesting! I used a map from a calendar for the insides and it made a nice, masculine journal. My brother has it now.









The Lesson 5 journal was a good "list" journal, so I kept it for myself! I am an incurable list-er. And by the way, I love shoes! Ya think?

I was having so much fun, I had to do an extra journal - like for extra credit? This one was to keep all the lessons - and the wonderful tips and inspiration from my classmates and so forth. It will be easy to add to this journal, because Sue is working on a follow-up class. Can't wait!

Last, but not least: I had so much fun making the faux leather that I had to do more! Some of these will be Mother's Day gifts. They are all very similar - and all very different. Had a ball using up stickers and rub-ons and pretty papers.

I think I am journaled out for the time being. I'm sure I'll come up with some ideas later on. For now, tho, I am ready to start May's TIF challenge. More to come later.

Journal Making for the Fiber Artist

I got a couple of journals finished from the online class I'm taking from Sue Bleiweiss. Sure seemed to take a long time, but that's because of the time I was sick I guess. And the time spent shopping, going to doctor appointments, visiting family, helping in the yard, paying bills, eating, etc., etc. What happened to spending all day in my workshop? Oh yeah - Life!

Well, back to the journals: The first one is made from an old pair of jeans. One leg was ripped so I cut off the other one and made this sketchbook journal. Inside are pockets to hold pencils, paints, whatever. I have not loaded it with paper yet, but it will have drawing and watercolor papers so it could be used for artistic endeavors.

The second journal has a collection of plain, lined, and graph papers and is bound with posts so pages can be added or removed fairly easily. I added a couple of library pockets inside this journal to hold notes and/or bookmarks.

This class is really a lot of fun. I have another journal just about finished - just needs some decoration on the cover - and the lesson for the last journal was posted this evening.

I have learned a lot of things from this class. One of which is that denim jeans are not easy to work with! But I've also learned some basic book binding techniques as well as different ways to make covers and decorate them. I can see how I can put these techniques to use in the future. If you think this looks like something you'd like to learn, the next class starts June 2. Go to Sue's website for the information.

I will have more pictures when the last two journals are finished. I also have some other projects that are al-l-l-l-l-most ready for photos and sharing.